History

About the Chieftains

Since 1977, the Calgary Chieftains have been Calgary’s GAA club. We are a sports and social club that promotes the traditional Irish sports of Gaelic Football and Hurling. We are fully affiliated to the GAA, through the Western Canada Divisional Board and are a registered Albertan Society (Calgary Chieftains: Gaelic Athletic Association Club).

SEASON

The club’s playing season runs from May to September, depending on pitch availability after the winter. Throughout these months the club trains, and competes in tournaments in Alberta, Western Canada and the USA.

The Chieftains also provide a great social scene throughout the year, and especially over the long winter months. The club always has something on, from quiz nights to trips to see the Calgary Flames or from Talent Nights to Ski Days. We pride ourselves on helping ‘new Calgarians’ settle into their surroundings, or just help people make some new friends.

Teams

The Calgary Chieftains are now represented in all four codes. There are two mens football teams (The Calgary Chieftains and the Calgary Slashers), a ladies football team, a mens Hurling team and a Camogie team. Our youth division, Chieftains Óg, are a recent addition to the club and are going from strength to strength.

History

The Calgary Chieftains is the only Adult Gaelic Football club based in Calgary, Canada. They play at the Calgary Canadian Irish Athletic Club grounds and are members of Western Divisional Board of the Canadian County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association.

In 1977, Mike Quirke of Foilmore, Co. Kerry helped start the Calgary Chieftains. Paddy McCallion, brother of Tyrone hurling star Damien McCallion, who used to play for the Chieftains, of Tyrone descent, carried the torch into the nineties, having joined the Chieftains from their rivals in Edmonton. Noel Tuohy, from Dundalk, Louth, has been a stalwart player and spiritual leader for the club in the late nineties and has been largely involved in training/management since. Also the efforts of Liam Mailey, Adrian Lagan, Kim Tulloch & Amanda Stewart have been crucial for the club. In recent years, young members including John Treacy, Eamonn McSweeney, Ivan Hearty, Lydia Nutbrown, Julia Rigaux, Richie Pinfield and Suzanne McKeon have kept the club running. The Chieftains compete every year in the Western Canadian Championships in both men's & ladies Gaelic football - in fact, the men’s team won the inaugural tournament in 2004.

In 2012, the Calgary Slashers (Calgary ‘B’ team) were formed as part of the Calgary Chieftains and have taken part in the Calgary and Red Deer tournaments in the past two years. This team was formed due to the large interest in men’s football in Calgary.

In 2013, the Calgary Chieftains fielded their first hurling team in their history and held the inaugural Alberta Hurling Cup tournament in August 2013.